My magpie duckling won't eat! What should I do??!!?!

[ANIMALS 4EVER]

I just bought a magpie duckling from a local feed store yesterday. It was the smallest and was being trampled but still moving around. It acted fine when I first brought it home, but now it won't eat or drink on it's own. I can get it to drink if i hold it but it still won't eat. It rarely opens it's eyes, and acts like it's tired. It makes little soft peeping noises when you hold it, but i don't know what to do! I don't want it to die, PLEASE help!

 

[mnferalkitty]

This does not sound good, do you have electrolytes in the water? If not put some in the water. Do not feed medicated food

 

[70%cocoa]

I'd get some bird vitamins (like sav-a-chick or nutridrench) and put that in water and use an eye dropper to drip the solution on its bill to get it to drink more. You can try mixing it's food with some water to make a kind of thick porridge - then offering mouthfuls of that. It might be more willing to eat that than dry food.

Do you have the duckling under a heat lamp? Maybe the duckling is not warm enough. Try to adjust the height of it so it's about 86 to 90 degrees under the lamp.

At least you have given this duckling a chance, whereas it had no chance in the store. I hope the little one picks up. Fingers crossed.

 

[Miss Lydia]

 

[ANIMALS 4EVER]

I got it to eat a little, but it didn't make it Thanks so much for all the help though! Really helpful!

 

[Amiga]

Oh, no.

 

[70%cocoa]

Oh, I so sorry. You did your best and I'm absolutely sure that the duckling had a much, much more comfortable passing than would have been the case at the store. You did a good thing.

 

[ANIMALS 4EVER]

It's sad but the duckling had someone who loved it before it died and it at least had i chance, thanks so much for the though, really!

 

[Miss Lydia]

So sorry